Complete Belarusian Language for Beginners A1 Part 1

Have you always wanted to learn the Belarusian language? Are you planning a trip or any other travel plans to the Republic of Belarus? Well, you have come to the right place! This course is a complete and detailed Belarusian Language Online Course structured professionally.

The Belarusian language is one of the most beautiful Slavic languages and there are unfortunately not too many formal courses out there for English speakers to learn it. With our course, we will take you from zero knowledge to the A1 Beginner Level where you can easily expand on your Belarusian proficiency. This is Part 1 of the two part A1 course.

How To Learn a Language

With so many apps, vocabulary builders, and other popular brand name language learning software, there is no wonder why not only is the average language learner overwhelmed, but convinced that the best way to learn a language is to simply tap the right word on their mobile devices. I may be a bit old fashioned with my methods, but they work. I have basic language knowledge of over 20 languages and I speak 4 conversationally or fluently. I self taught myself the languages I know and with my proven method, I'm ready to share with the community my approach with the language company I started, LingoTala.

Even though I speak Belarusian, it's always a plus to learn the language from a native speaker of that language. That is why I partnered with a Belarusian native speaker, Aliaksandra, who has been teaching languages for over 12 years and joins us straight from the beautiful nation of Belarus. So you get two classroom style experienced educators who developed a great curriculum just for you so you can learn this Online Belarusian Language Course.

Quick Belarusian Language Facts

- Spoken by over 5 million people as a native language
- Spoken by over 6 million people as a second language
- Official language of the Republic of Belarus
- Used in communities in Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States
- Found in a lot of official documentation from Belarus

Why Learn Belarusian?

- Heritage or Ancestry reasons
- A friend, spouse, or loved one may speak it
- You are rusty with Belarusian and want to improve it again
- You are planning on moving to Belarus
- You are planning a trip to Belarus
- You want to expand your language arsenal
- You may want to use Belarusian as a stepping stone to easily pick up Ukrainian, Polish, or Russian
- You want to try to read Ruthenian or 13th century Old Slavic documents that may have similarities to Belarusian
- Just for fun

You may have read that Russian is predominantly spoken in Belarus. This is true, but Belarusian has equal status in Belarus. Because of this equal status, you will find documentation, paperwork, and even public transportation in Minsk will be in Belarusian. The language is also used as a primary language of business for the US Embassy in Minsk. While Russian is the preferred language of the Belarusian people, the Belarusian language is definitely on the rise with the younger generation, especially in Minsk, and those who prefer to use Belarusian will absolutely appreciate hearing a foreigner speaking in the Belarusian language. You visited this website for a reason - if you are interested in learning Belarusian, stay motivated and take the jump - you will have the pleasure of knowing one of the most beautiful Slavic languages in the world and after knowing Belarusian, you will easily be able to pick up Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian if interested.

Materials Required

- A method to watch this course (PC, tablet, mobile phone, etc.)
- Pen
- Notebook/Notepad
- Set up a Belarusian keyboard or use a search engine for an online Belarusian phonetic keyboard so you can practice typing in the language

With these simple tools, be prepared to practice writing the letters and words out as you learn with us. Studies show that it takes about 30 repetitions to commit something to memory, so have a goal to write a little bit each day of your vocabulary that you will learn in our videos.

Course Structure

- Introduction Lessons (learn the basics like Hello, Goodbye, and Thank you)
- Alphabet (Since Belarusian uses the Cyrillic alphabet, we'll teach you how to read and understand the alphabet)

Units
- Vocabulary (You will begin each Unit with a few lessons of vocabulary to learn)
- Grammar (Don't be intimidated, we will touch on some grammar rules to apply to the language so you can build your own sentences)
- Culture (An important chapter often missed in other language tools, learn about the people who speak the language, and a chance to pick up some extra Belarusian vocabulary)
- Quiz (Quick review of the unit so you are confident with moving onto the next unit)

How to Use This Course

Unless you have a photographic memory, to be a little realistic here, don't expect to just watch the videos and become fluent. Learning a language will take time. Be prepared to repeat lessons, pause, take notes, write down the words you learned, and drill the alphabet. I spent a lot of time putting together the resource guides in PDF format which will also assist you. Please utilize those guides! 

The good news is you have this course for life after only a one time charge. So you can take your time and not feel frustrated that you have a time limit to meet to finish all the lessons as well as have something to refer back to in case you forget a word or topic.

I recommend the following for the average language learner:

- Have a comfortable environment set up, like a desk, your device, a notebook used only for your Belarusian studies, some scrap paper, and of course a pen. Grab a coffee, tea, beer, or wine to relax your brain - whatever works for you and your routine

- Watch the tutorial. Pause to take your own organized notes and repeat after the speaker. I recommend one video a day or one unit a week, but you can always do more or less depending on your schedule and comfort level

- Download the resource file, take down any additional notes you may need from it, and review it. Print it out if you'd like to keep in your notes

- Write down the words over and over again on a scrap paper, make flash cards, test yourself, speak the words out loud, whatever method you prefer and works for you to memorize the vocabulary

- Before bed and in an even more relaxed environment, watch the lesson you did earlier in the day again. Go to sleep immersed in the language

If you have experience learning a language, you can of course adjust the routine according to what works for you! 

End of Course Goals

The Common European Framework (CEFR) defines the A1 level as:

- Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type
- Can introduce themselves and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where they live, people they know and things they have
- Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help

By the end of this course, you will be able to do just that and meet the CEFR A1 criteria. You will know:

- How to read, write, and understand the Belarusian alphabet in Cyrillic letters
- How to introduce yourself and ask information about another person and their family
- Basic understanding of grammar and how to construct Belarusian sentences and its appropriate syntax
- Learn about the culture, people, and geography of Belarus
- How to tell dates and count from 0 to 1,000,000
- How to say food and drink items, what you want and have, and about Belarusian cuisine

This course will bring you halfway through the knowledge you need to consider yourself at an A1 level. Once completed with this course, move onto the second part of the A1 level to finish the journey.

Learning a language can be a daunting task. It will involve a lot of self motivation and interest from the student's part. That part is challenging enough, so why should the material be any harder? Trust us with your Belarusian language studies and we will deliver you a relaxing and fun method to learning the Belarusian language and we'll try to simplify things as much as possible so you can focus on achieving your language goals.

Дзякуй and welcome to the world of the Belarusian Language!